Steering mechanism for wheeled land wehicles



Original Filed July 23,- 1945 Jan. 1, 1949. R. w. BROWN STEERING MECHANISM FOR WHEELED LAND VEHICLES 3 Sheets-Sheet l ROY W. BROWN jan. 38, 199. w. BROWN 2,459,753

'S'T'EERING MECHANISM FOR WHEELED LAND vEnIcLEs Original Filed July 23, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 3mm a ROY w. mow/*4 i8, HMQ. R. w. BROWN 2,459,753 STEERI NG MECHANISM FOR WHEELED LAND VEHICLES Original Filed July 23, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ROY-W. mzowm BMW Roy W. Brown, Amen, ilhio, aasignor to The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, on, Qhio, a corporation of @hio (lrigiraai application July 23, 1943, Serial No.

d95,9i7. Divided and t application April 17, 19%, Serial' No. 662,?3315 it relates to steering mechanism for wheeled vehicles that have pneumatic suspension means adapted to effect raising and lowering of the vehicle frame with relation to the ground, when desired.

Such a wheeled vehicle is shown in my copending application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 495,947, now Patent No. 2,415,026, granted Jan. 28, 1947, of which this application is a division.

The chief object of the invention is to provide an improved manner for steering vehicles of the character mentioned. More specifically the invention aims to obviate any binding effect of the steering mechanism as the vehicle wheels bounce up and down, relatively of the vehicle frame, when traveling over rough terrain, or when the pneumatic suspension is operated to change the position of the wheels in the raising and lowering of the vehicle frame. Other objects will be manifest as the description proceeds.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. i is a front elevation of a wheeled vehicle embodying the invention, said vehicle being shown in elevated or traveling position;

Fig. 2 is a view of the structure shown in Fig. i in lowered position;

Fig. is a plan view of the bed or frame of the vehicie'shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the superstructure being omitted:

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of a part of the steering mechanism of the vehicle; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Hg. 3.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a wheeled vehicle that comprises a main frame or bed 29 that extends longitudinally of the vehicle, and a top carriage, designated as a whole by the numeral 26, that is supported on said main frame and movable relatively thereof in a horizontal plane, the top carriage being mounted on a turntable 22. As shown, a gun 23 is mounted upon the turntable 22, but since the top carriage and structure carried thereby constitute no part of the'present'invention, a detailed description thereof will not be required.

The bed or frame is tubular and horizontally disposed, and is substantially rectangular in cross-section. At the front and rear ends of said main frame are transversely disposed wheelcarrying assemblies generally designated 25 and 26 respectively, said assemblies comprising wheels 21 that are provided with suitable pneumatic tires for supporting the vehicle. The frame 20 is provided at a point intermediate the wheel carrying assemblies with a transversely disposed arm 28 to which is pivoted, at the ends thereof, a pair of identical outriggers 29. The outriggers are arranged to be swung from an inoperative folded-back position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 to the extended operative position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and in broken lines in Fig. 3. Each outrigger is provided at its outer end with a screw jack 30 having a ground engaging foot plate 3i that is swivel-connected to the lower end of a post 32. Each post 32 is vertically adjustable by means of a manually operable crank 33, each of the latter being pivoted at 36 to enable folding into the position shown when not in use. Locking means indicated generally at 35, Fig. 3, is provided for retaining the outriggers in traveling position shown in full lines' in said figure. Other screw jacks 39 are mounted at the front and rear ends respectively of the main frame 20. A circular base plate 37! is mounted upon the frame members 20, 28 at the intersection thereof, and it is upon base plate 3'8 that the turntable 22 is mounted.

The wheel-carrying assemblies 25, it at the opposite ends of the main frame 20 are of identical construction except for steering mechanism which is associated with the front wheels and which presently will be described. Each assembly comprises a forked arm to that has its forks pivotally connected to respective brackets M, Figs. 4 and 5, by means of hinge pins @2. Said brackets are mounted upon the under side of main frame 20, at spaced points longitudinally thereof, the hinge pins :32 of the two brackets being in axial alignment. At the free outer end of each forked arm t0 the latter is formed with a bearing portion 63 in which is journaled a pin it upon which is mounted the axle spindle (not shown) that carries a wheel 21 of the vehicle. Each bracket (ii is of dual construction and carries two hinge pins 52, one for each of the forked arms it. The arrangement is such that each front wheel 21 may be swung or oscillated relatively of the main frame 20, the hinge pins d2 constituting the axes of oscillation of the wheels. I By oscillating the arms 40, the wheels 21 may be tilted from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2, and vice versa. When the wheels are tilted to the position shown in Fig. 2 the gun 23 is in its lowered, firing position.

For oscillating the forked arms 4|! to tilt the wheels 21 as described, suitable fluid pressure on- .and collar constitute an integral structure.

erated means is provided. and to this end the bearing portion 83 at the outer endof each arm 40 is formed with a downwardly extending bifurcated ear 41 that carries a pivot pin 48, the latter being disposed transversely of the pin 44, and located below a line that connects the axis of axle spindle (not shown) with the axis of oscillation 42 of-the wheel. Pivotally connected to the pivot pin 48 is the lower end of a tubular member 48 that constitutes an element of a fluid pressure operated unit.

The fluid pressure operated unit is pivotally connected at its upper end to an upright standard 82 that is bolted to the top side of the frame 28. The standard 82 is of dual construction so as to serve as an upper anchor for two fluid pressure operated devices. The latter are substantially enclosed, except'for the members 49 thereof, in respective hollow metal guards or shields 61 that protect the working parts of the devices from gun fire or other damaging impacts. At the top of each fluid pressure operated device is a handle or knob 88 that controls a braking means (not shown) whereby the movable parts of the device may be secured in determinate position, upon occasion, such as when there is failure of the pressure fluid that operates the device. The fluid pressure operated devices constitute the subject matter of the invention set forth in my co-pending application aforementioned, of which this application is a division; for this reason a fuller description thereof is not believed necessary to the disclosure of the prevent invention.

The vehicle is not self-propelled, but is arranged to be drawn by a. suitable tractor (not shown) to which it is connected by a draught bar I65, the latter being pivotally connected to the front end of'the vehicle. As is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. the shell or casing of the screw jack -80 at the front end of the vehicle is welded to the front end of the bed or frame 20. Swiveled on the casing of said screw jack 30. above frame 20. is a flanged collar I56, there being a bearing bushing I81 between said collar and the frame portion on which it rests. Swiveled on said screw jack 88, below frame 20, is a bracket struc ture I88 that extends upwardly and has its upper end bolted-to collar I66. whereby said bracket A thrust bearing I89 is positioned between bracket I88 and the under side of frame 20. The arrangement is such that the bracket I68 may swivel about screw jack 30 as an axis. Formed on bracket-J68 near the upper end thereof is a Pair of spaced-apart, outwardly projecting parallel. ears I10, I18, which ears are apertured to receive a horizontally arranged pivot pin IN, the draught bar I85 having an end portion disposed between said ears and pivotally supported on said pin I1I.

Steering of the vehicle is effected by means of a pair of steering rods I14, I14 that are operatively connected at one end to the axles Of respective front wheels .21 of the vehicle, and at their other-ends are connected to the swivelled bracket I88. To this end the bracket I88 is formed at its lower end with a forwardly projecting formation I15 that has an opening therethrough so, as to define parallel horizonta1 top and bottom portions and a downwardly sloped front portion. the latter being designated I15a.

'Secured at its ends in the top and bottom portions of formation I18 is a. vertically positioned pivot pin I16, and pivotally mounted on said pin. within the opening in formation I18, are two tive Divot pins I19 that are disposed at right angles to the pivot pin I16. The ears I11a of the hinge elements I11 are axially offset from the axial portions of said elements, and to different extents, the arrangement being such that pivot pins I18 are disposed in the same horizontal plane. Furthermore, the pivot pins I19 are in the same horizontal plane as the hinge pins 42 that pivotally connect the forked arms 40 to the brackets 4| and are spaced the same distance from pivot point I18v as the distance from each pivot pin 42 to the centerline of the frame 20.

Each of the connector elements I18 is formed with a threaded stem I that has threaded con nection with one end of the steering links I14, as shown in Fig. 4, said steering links being hollow or tubular as shown. Each steering link I14 has its outer end pivotally connected to the free end of a short bracket arm I8I, Fig. 3, said bracket arm being mounted upon and projecting forwardly from a disc or plate I82 that is secured to an axle spindle at the front end of the Vehicle.

The arrangement is such that when the draught bar I65 is turned angularly of the main frame 28, as when turning or rounding a curve, the swivelled bracket I68 also will turn and thus cause the steering rods I14 to turn the front wheels of the vehicle, as is indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3. This enables the vehicle to make shorter turns and also assures that the vehicle will follow the course of its towing tractor and not swing from side to side as frequently is the case with towed vehicles. The feature of having threaded connections between the connector elements I18 and the steering links enables the length of the steering assemblies to be adjusted to a nicety. If desired, similar adjustment features may be incorporated at the outer ends of the steering links. By having the steering link pivots I19 in the same plane as the pivotal connections 42 of the forked arms 48, and substantially in axial alignment therewith when the draught bar is in the medial position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, there is no binding effect as the front wheels of the vehicle bounce up and down when traveling over rough terrain, or when the pneumatic suspension is operated to change the position of the wheels from traveling to firing position) the wheel arms 40 and steering links I14 of each wheel being parallel and disposed in the same plane under all conditions.

Secured to the under side of the draught bar I65, near the pivoted end thereof, is a bumper I84 of rubber or other resilient material, said bumper being so positioned as to bear against the sloping front portion "5:: of the projecting formation I15 when the free end of the draught bar is unsupported, whereby said free end of the bar is held off the ground.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the invention provides a steering mechanism that is of primary utility in association with wheeled vehicles of the character described, and which achieves the advantages set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

- Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof as defined by the appended'claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steering mechanism for wheeled land vehicles the combination of a vehicle frame, a pairof swingable arms pivoted to said frame on respective horizontal axes and projecting to oppo site sides of the frame, each of said arms having its free end provided with an axle on which a wheel is mounted, a swiveled bracket disposed on a vertical axis at the front end of said frame, a draught bar pivotally connected to said bracket, and respective steering links pivotally connected at one end to the axle structures and at their other ends to the bracket, the last mentioned connection comprising a vertical pivot pin carried by the bracket structure, a pair of connector elements pivoted on said pin, and horizontally disposed pivotal connections between the steering links and the respective connector elements, the last mentioned pivotal connections being disposed in the same plane as the pivotal connections between the frame and the swingable arms.

ROY W. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,617,283 Adkins Feb. 8, 192'! 2,154,558 Beemer Apr. 18, 1939 2,159,344 Slack May 23, 1939 Urich Sept. 29, 1942 

